Chemicals React
by Delightfully Weird
Summary: Morgan has just turned 17, and with it has come an onslaught of doubts and insecurities about her boyfriend, Cal, her heritage, and the Seeker who always seems to know how to get under her skin. *Revised story*
1. Chapter 1

**In case you were wondering, this story has been on hiatus but after much consideration - and being holed up in my apartment with a broken ankle for six weeks - I have decided to return to this story.**

**However, I have made serious changes. I didn't like where I'd led the story and had been up against the dreaded wall for over a year now. I have deleted the last 23 chapters and am virtually starting from scratch. Sparks Fly and On a Slow Night are on hiatus so I can focus on this and Silver Lining, which will also have several chapters removed as they kind of got out of hand and created the jumbled mess that I have with these two stories now.**

**I hope to be able to produce a couple chapters of CR and SL a week, starting either today or tomorrow so please bear with me!**

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><p>"I love you so much," Cal murmured as he kissed my neck.<p>

I winced slightly and took a shallow breath. He hovered over me, golden eyes staring me down.

"Morgan,"

I nodded once. "Love you, too." I whispered, and let him kiss my lips. He groaned, moving in an easy rhythm, and my mind, unbidden, reminded me yet again that he may have done this with Bree just a few weeks ago. I couldn't help but wonder how many girls he's been with, but wasn't sure if I ever really wanted to know that.

Cal eventually finished and shifted so we were on our sides facing each other. His hand stroked my hair and I tried to smile.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Just tired,"

He kissed me again and moved his hand down to stroke my cheek, my shoulder, my breast…. I shifted away and onto my back. Cal leaned up on his elbow.

"Morgan, are you okay?"

"I'm okay, just…sore." I felt awkward to admit.

"I'm sorry," he said, kissing my cheek. "I should've been…gentler."

I nodded. "It's okay." I said again. "I should probably be getting home soon though. They'll freak if I'm not in my bed when they wake up."

"I'll get you home before then. Let's sleep for a while and I'll take you home."

"Mmhmm," I mumbled, and let him relax against me. Within minutes, I started to doze off, but I couldn't fall asleep all the way. My mind was racing with insecure thoughts that freaked me out and left me to feel like I'd gotten sucker punched.

Were you supposed to feel warm and loved? Were the lilting harmonies of angel voices supposed to cascade down to you and make you feel like you've just achieved the highest level of happiness humanly possible?

Because, honestly, I just felt used.

Ever so softly, I shifted out of Cal's grasp, his soft, heavy breathing indicating he was deeply asleep. I tiptoed out of bed and grabbed my clothes, cursing the fact that I didn't have my warm jeans and boots with me. I slipped into my clothes and coat and glanced at the clock in his bedroom. Shit! It was nearly one in the morning.

I quickly laced up my shoes and grabbed Maeve's athame before sneaking out of his room and into the adjacent bathroom. From one glance, I noted that I looked like I had just stepped off the site of a horror movie. My hair was matted in some places and overall a tangled mess, so I did my best to run my fingers through and make a "braid." The makeup Mary K. had insisted she let me put on was smudged and I had raccoon eyes.

I peed, washed my hands, and splashed water on my face. I carefully padded down the stairs, careful to be silent. The second I opened the front door and felt the cold air hit my face, I knew I would likely be an icicle by the time I got home—or worst case scenario, I'd freeze before I got there. At least if that happened, I wouldn't get a lecture.

Crossing my arms, I trudged out into the driveway and made my way to the quiet, snow-lined road. Up ahead, I saw dim running lights of a car coming closer. I pulled my coat a little higher around my face and continued walking. The car passed me.

Not ten seconds later, the car was on the opposite side of the road, gliding closer to me. Now I could make out the details of the small sedan, and most importantly, I saw the impossibly tall blonde figure step out of the gray car.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I spat. The last thing I wanted was another lovely Hunter Niall interrogation.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked, and then gave me the up-and-down assessment. "Guess I don't really need ask that." He murmured, raising his eyebrows in accusation, and I stood up straighter and tightened my arms across my chest. "So where's Cal?"

I sighed, my breath coming out in a puff. "Why can't you just leave us alone?" I asked instead. "Why are you so intent on rubbing it in Cal's face about your dad choosing your family?"

Hunter looked taken aback. "That's what he told you? That I'm intent on destroying their lives because of my father?" he mocked. "You're smarter than that, Morgan."

"I don't believe you." I stated, trying to stand strong. He succeeded at getting under my skin every time.

"You don't believe you're smart?"

My eyes narrowed at his cocky expression. "No." I snapped. "I don't believe that you're working for the Council. I don't believe that you were sent here to investigate misuse of magick or whatever the hell you claim. You're a vindictive ass who can't keep his mouth shut and take a hint."

Hunter held his hands up in defense, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Fine, Morgan. I will leave you alone. For now. However, I need to see Cal."

"At one in the morning?" I demanded. "God, just give it a rest. Do you ever relax and, I don't know, _sleep_ like the rest of the world? I'm sure it would greatly improve your people skills. Leave Cal alone. I mean it."

Hunter glanced between me and the house, silent and almost hidden in the snow fog we were in. "How are you going to stop me?" he asked, coming around and leaning against the passenger door, now within inches of me. "Going to zap me with witch fire again?"

"Is that a threat?"

He shook his head. "It's a challenge. If you don't believe that Cal and Selene are using you, then prove me wrong."

I turned on my heel and started walking again, my legs stiff and chilled to the bone. My hand instinctively clutched the handle of the athame inside my coat pocket. Quicker than I expected, his hand grabbed my arm, and I whirled around and held the athame out in front of me.

His pale face became ashen as his eyes locked on it. "Shit," he breathed. "Where are the rest?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Hidden,"

Hunter nodded. "Keep it that way." He warned, tearing his eyes away. "How did you find them?"

"Scrying." I said numbly. My hand holding the athame started to shake, and I put it back inside my coat and dug my hands into my pockets. He was still, expressionless, as if waiting for me to elaborate. "With fire." I added.

"Come with me," he said, sounding completely stricken.

"No," I objected, taking a step back. "You must be insane if you think I'll go with you."

Hunter walked back to the car and opened the passenger door. "It's this, freeze to death, or go snuggle back up to Cal."

I wanted none of those options. If I went back to Cal, he'd question me about leaving, think it was his fault, and I didn't want him to feel bad. I didn't want to walk because it would take me at least an hour to get home. Lastly, I was afraid Hunter really was the psychopath Cal said he was and that this was a ploy to kill me and steal my mother's tools, which thanks to my super-sharp reflexes and big mouth, he now knew about.

I walked the few steps to the car slowly. "You won't try to kill me?"

He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, and I slid into the wonderfully heated car. Hunter walked over to his side and got in, putting the car into gear as I put on my seatbelt.

"Are all American girls this annoying?"

"Only when they're pissed off." I replied.

He sped off into the darkness, and I questioned my sanity for the second time tonight.

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><p><strong>Absolutely heart broken that the day I came back to writing, it is announced on Cate Tiernan's Facebook that Sweep is no longer in production to be a movie. My emotions are all over the place right now.<strong>

**Please review, even if it's just to wallow in the sadness of this news with me. We'll be sad together.**

**New chapter coming tomorrow.**


	2. Chapter 2

"This isn't the way to my house," I pointed out, flexing my fingers in front of the vent in a feeble attempt to warm them.

"It's the way to _my_ house." He said. The "you idiot" was implied.

I huffed in annoyance. I mean, what the actual hell was wrong with me? I loved Cal. I knew that. I knew he loved me. I just gave him my virginity. I should be still wrapped in his warm arms, in his plushy, gauzy, wholly romantic bed, rejoicing in our physical commitment to each other.

Instead, I was sore, regretful, freezing my ass off, and trapped in a car with a man who may or may not be completely certifiable. Cal never said for sure that they were actually related, just that to him, Hunter was the child of his father's girlfriend. I certainly didn't see any resemblance, but that was to be expected since Cal was a clone of his mother. Still, blood brothers or not, they had a family connection, and that idea was startling.

"How old are you?" I asked.

Hunter glanced over at me and assessed me for a moment before looking back at the windy road. We were nearly out of town, and I felt my heart falter a beat. I didn't have a cell phone—that was the number one item on my Christmas list—so whatever happened tonight, I would most likely end up sending a witch message to Cal, begging for his forgiveness and to come rescue me.

"Nineteen. Almost," he paused and turned onto what looked like a deserted road. It did not help my anxiety in the least. "You?"

My eyebrows rose as I eyed him. He glanced at me again. "You don't know?"

"Should I?"

I shrugged. "I just thought you knew everything about me," I explained mockingly, and he smirked. "Seventeen today,"

He stopped in front of an older shabby house that looked unkempt at best. Shaggy bushes, rickety staircase and weeds mingled in with the sparse grass. Three other cars were parked outside; a small green one I vaguely recognized, Raven's battered black Peugeot, and Breezy—Bree's BMW.

"Quite the eventful birthday?" he asked, his expression was neutral.

"That's one word for it." I stated calmly. "However, you're not the person I can discuss this with."

He nodded. "So why'd you leave him tonight? Not as good as you were hoping?" the teasing, overly-confident grin had returned to his lips, and I found myself glancing at them too often.

"It was fine." I sighed and rested my head against the window. "How'd you know anyway?"

He laughed quietly and took the key out of the ignition. "You had this look about you, wasn't hard to guess,"

"A look?" I asked, taken aback. "Is 'whore' written across my forehead or something?"

Hunter opened his door. "Your face said it all… and your clothes aren't on straight. That was the giveaway." With that, he got out and shut his door, and I followed suit.

"Are you always this much of an ass?" I grumbled, taking my time following him up to the house.

Inside, I almost moaned at the heat of the fire in the small living room. I straightened up when I saw Sky, Raven, and Bree huddled on mismatched furniture with mugs of tea, discussing something with strong intent, and I thought back to the conversation Bree and Raven had had in the school bathroom about giving Sky my hair, and I took a step back towards the door.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?" Raven demanded, looking at Sky, who was staring daggers between me and Hunter.

Ignoring her, Hunter nodded to Sky, and she stood and started to head out of the room. Hunter rested his hand on my shoulder for a brief moment and indicated for me to follow Sky, and he led me from behind.

Bree caught my eye quickly and looked cautious and calculating, which I hated to admit stung quite a bit. We used to trust each other more than anyone else in the world, and now we were both glancing at each other to make sure either of us wasn't about to attack.

As I walked, my mind conjured up ridiculous images of the mafia "taking care of" those who had backstabbed them, and I felt a bit like I was heading off to my execution. We entered what appeared to be a large parlor, and Hunter closed the door behind him. I wondered if this was where their circles were held as I felt faint traces of magick in the room.

"Start talking." Sky demanded, folding her arms across her chest. "You were going over to get Cal to bring him in for questioning, and instead you bring his little pet home?"

My eyes narrowed. "Ex_cuse_ me?" I demanded, and she rolled her eyes in annoyance and focused back on Hunter.

"I was—I was there, and I saw Morgan leaving and asked her where Cal was."

"And?" Sky asked.

Hunter looked uncharacteristically abashed and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "I decided not to pursue it tonight." He told her calmly. "Morgan needs help." I turned on him then, and he gave me a harsh look that quieted me instantly. "She has Belwicket's tools."

Sky's mouth dropped silently and started deeply into Hunter's eyes, and then looked over at me, shaking visibly now. "How is that possible? She's untrained, uninitiated—"

"That's why they need her." He stated, and I felt sick.

Cal would never hurt me intentionally. The idea of Selene being behind some horrid plan to use me for my powers was unsettling. The idea of _Cal_ being a part of it would make me lose my mind. It wasn't true—Hunter was either hell bent on vengeance or taking his assignment way too far and receiving false information.

It just wasn't possible.

"Do you really scry with fire?" Sky asked me warily. I nodded. "Where are the tools?"

I cleared my throat of the lump that had formed and glanced between her and Hunter. "They're hidden."

Sky swallowed and uncrossed her arms, relaxing a tiny bit. "Does Cal know where they are?"

I nodded again. "I told him, and I showed him this." I said, taking the athame out of my coat. Sky was awestruck, not taking her eyes off of the blade.

She straightened up again, business-like. "Right then, you'll need to find a new place for them and keep it to yourself. Cal may not hurt you, but Selene will stop at nothing to have you and those tools. We can't take risks like that to spare the feelings of a talented amateur."

"What could she do with them?" I asked, surprising myself. The rational thing would've been to tell her she and Hunter were insane, but curiosity got the better of me.

Hunter answered, cutting off Sky. "The tools were made before Belwicket had renounced dark magick. They've since been purified, of course, but Selene could restore them to their original state. It's not something we want happening." His eyes bore into mine at the last few words, and I felt my stomach drop.

I slid the athame back into my coat and looked back over to Sky. "So if he's here for work, why are you here?" I asked her.

"Because we look out for each other." She answered simply.

I bit my lip, glancing between the impossibly blonde cousins who could've been twins, and sighed. "So if you guys are right, what should I do about Cal?"

Hunter and Sky entered into another silent conversation, one I was clearly not trustworthy enough to hear. I waited impatiently, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Act normally," Sky said. "Continue to be his little lapdog until Hunter has the information he needs to turn them into the council."

"And then what?" I asked, decidedly ignoring the jab at me.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Hunter said. "Come, I'll run you home."

I nodded after a moment and followed him out of the room, only to be bombarded with Bree and Raven's matching faces of distrust and irritation.

We were almost to the front door when Bree grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. I yanked my arm back out of her grip, and she huffed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, sounding almost bored.

"That's none of your business, Bree." I replied coldly.

She laughed without humor. "Bullshit. Are you here to spy on our coven?" she accused, hands on her hips and nearly towering over me with her three-inch height advantage. "If that's the case, you're a couple of hours too late."

"No, I'm not here to spy on your coven." I said. "Hunter needed to talk to me."

"Why?"

"Again. That is none of your business. Stay out of this, Bree. You have no idea what the hell you're starting."

She looked taken aback by my boldness and shook her head. "Hey, I will do just that. Have fun with your boyfriend, Morgan." She turned to walk back to Sky and Raven but stopped mid step and turned back around. With her hands still on her hips, she looked like a model posing in a fashion shoot, and I could only imagine what I looked like through her eyes in my current state of dishevelment. "Oh, and happy birthday!" she said with a fake smile, and turned again to stalk off.

I blinked quickly, swallowing to ensure the tears that were dangerously close to forming would not fall.

I left the house with Hunter without looking back. Thinking back, Bree had always been this much of a bitch. I'd just hardly used to notice. Now it was aimed directly at me, and I was unprepared.

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><p><strong>I cannot express how sorry I am for the month-and-a-half long wait. I was going through a lot but I'm settled now and starting to write again. <strong>

**Thank you to everyone who's been sticking with this story, and I swear I'll be updating again this week along with Silver Lining!**


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes slowly drifted open and then snapped shut again at the intruding light from the window. If I had it my way, it would be Monday, and I'd have to get up and get ready for school. However I knew that was just wishful thinking—that it was Sunday, my birthday, and I would have to get up eventually and face my problems head-on.

Like Hunter. That pretentious, egotistical jerk who kept trying to cause problems for Cal. Though last night he and Sky Eventide made some good points, I still held on to the fact that I knew Cal. They didn't. They didn't care what would happen to them based on their assumptions, nor his mother. They didn't care what was right or wrong. All they seemed to care about was the precious council.

And yet, I felt compelled to believe them. I was starting to think maybe they were right, but so was Cal.

Cal. I loved him, and he loved me. He would never do anything to hurt me, and if Hunter and Sky were right about Selene, they weren't right about Cal.

They just couldn't be.

Last night I gave myself to Cal, heart, soul, and body. A small part of me was glad I did it—the other 99% thought I would regret it the rest of my life. It was true that I let Cal talk me into it, because he knew it was right, and he promised that everything would be okay.

I was starting to think he was a bit of a liar.

I was contemplating getting up and taking a shower when the door to my room opened, and I jumped slightly, having not sensed it. "Morning, Birthday Girl!" my mom said brightly.

"Morning," I lay back down and pulled the covers up to my chin as the sight of the patchy snow on the trees outside my window made me feel much colder.

My mom sat down next to me on my bed and kissed my forehead. "Since it is your birthday, we can do whatever you want, more or less." My mom started, standing up to fix the miscellaneous items on my dresser, taking her time straightening a framed photo of my ex-best-friend Bree Warren and me at the beach last summer. "Do you want to have a big breakfast and go to a later mass, or do church first and have lunch…?" she asked, finally leaving the pictures alone and was now busying herself by picking up my dirty laundry from the floor by my footboard.

With a groan I sat up, stretching my arms up over my head and arching my back. That was a mistake, I realized as I know felt muscles that I didn't even know I had ache.

"Church first," I said with a sigh, dropping my arms and letting them smack down onto the down comforter pooled around me.

"Okay," my mom said with obvious enthusiasm and a wide grin. "Go shower, I'll put a Pop -Tart in the toaster for you." She couldn't resist another forehead kiss before she exited the room.

I swung my legs out of bed, feet freezing on the cold floor, and like a zombie went into the bathroom.

I closed the doors connecting to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and took off my pajamas. My eyes raked over my body in the mirror. I didn't really look any different. Some red marks here and there, my hair was tangled, my eyes were tired… but I still looked like me.

Still me, just no longer a good Catholic virgin.

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><p>Sitting through church felt like sitting through a lecture on the American Revolution—it's the same story every time, I almost had it memorized. My eyes didn't focus on anything, my ears were muffled as we sang the hymns we always did, Father Hodgekiss said nothing we hadn't heard all of our lives.<p>

But it was a reprieve for me, a place where I could forget what had transpired with me and Cal the night before. I glanced over to the confessional, where a few short weeks ago I had made a confession about wanting to know what had happened to my birth mother, Maeve. I was considering spilling my guts about opening my legs the night before when we all stood to leave.

As I was about to detour to confess my obvious sin, Mary K. startled me by getting in line. Mom noticed too, and her eyes narrowed slightly. I swallowed hard, realizing it would make her really suspicious if _both_ daughters went there today, so I kept it in. For now.

After church, we settled into a cozy booth at the diner. Mary K. was quiet and her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been holding in tears. I sensed what I didn't want to—she regretted something, and putting two and two together, I knew it was about Bakker, and the thought made me want to vomit up the one Pop-Tart I'd had this morning.

"So Morgan, are you excited for your birthday dinner tonight?" Mom asked, smiling as she stirred her coffee.

"Of course!" I answered, my eyes widened to emphasize. "Especially if I get a certain gift that I not only want but actually need…"

Dad laughed. "Teenagers don't _need_ cell phones, Morgan."

"Yes they do, Dad." I said matter-of-factly. "What if I get stuck somewhere and need a tow, or am at the store and you guys think of something you need. It's very practical."

They shared a laugh and Mom said, "We'll see."

"What are you doing today?" Mary K. asked. "I could use some sisterly bonding at the mall."

I rolled my eyes. "Nu-uh, it's about _me_ today."

Mary K. laughed. "Come on, we'll get you some clothes a seventeen-year-old would actually _want_ to wear."

"I can't. I have to take care of some things this afternoon." I said with a frown.

Just then I realized I actually did have things to take care of. Maeve's tools.

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><p>I drove to the one place I knew Selene and Cal—not that I believed what Hunter and Sky said—would never look to find my tools. Bree's house.<p>

I didn't see either her or her dad's cars outside, but I still used a see-me-not spell to not make what I was doing obvious to her neighbors. I slunk up the side yard, then quickly ducked beneath the huge lilac bush that grew outside the dining-room window. It was mostly bare this time of year, but it still hid the opening to the crawl space beneath Bree's house. I tucked the toolbox out of sight behind a piling, traced some fast runes of secrecy, and stood up.

As I got back to my car and was pulling away, I saw Bree going into the driveway from my rearview mirror, and breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't been caught. It was not something that I wanted to explain to her.

It was already after three o'clock, and I felt guilty that I hadn't called Cal yet today, especially after I had left him in the middle of the night without saying anything.

When I returned home, Cal's Explorer was parked by the curb, and I felt my stomach clench as I saw that he wasn't in it.

I quickly rushed up the steps and into the house, hearing laughter coming from the kitchen. Cal's coat was hanging up by the door, and my eyes widened as I realized he was talking to my mom in the kitchen.

"Hey," I called out, walking in. Our already small-family sized kitchen felt at full capacity with Cal and my mom sitting at the table with cups of steaming tea.

"Hi, sweetie," Mom greeted me. "I was just getting to know Cal. He stopped by earlier, and we just got to talking," she said with a laugh.

I nodded, trying not to let it show how weirded out I was by this whole situation. "Can we talk alone?" I asked Cal, and Mom shot me a pointed look. "Outside?" I added, and my mom's gaze softened a little.

Jeez, even when she was home she still didn't want to run the risk of us being alone in my bedroom.

Cal and I went out the front door instead of the back, and I felt tension enter his body. He knew I was kicking him out.

After the door shut behind us, he grabbed me around the neck and kissed me full on the mouth, taking the breath from me. I gasped a bit when he let go.

"I've wanted to do that all day," he whispered, his husky, breathless voice sent shivers down my spine. "You left really early."

I shrugged. "Or really late, depending on how you look at it," I said coyly, and he frowned slightly.

"I wish we could've woken up together." He murmured, brushing his lips against mine again.

I pulled back. "I know. I had to get home, and then I crashed and woke up for church."

Cal nodded. "Where were you this afternoon? I've been here for over an hour. Your mom said you were 'running errands'."

I nodded. "I just had some stuff I had to take care of."

"Stuff?" he asked hotly. "You could've picked up a phone to call me."

I leaned away from him and rested my back against the door. "I'm really sorry. It's just been a weird day. Didn't get very much sleep last night," I said with a shy smile, and like I thought it would, he softened and kissed me again.

"Are you free now? Mom's out for the day."

His velvety voice did nothing to calm my suddenly heated nerves, and I had to laugh. I certainly didn't want to do _that_ again for a very long time. "Can't. Family dinner tonight." I said instead, and felt his immediate disappointment. "But you're more than welcome to stay."

Cal pushed himself away, a forced smile present on his face. "That's okay, I'll just see you tomorrow at school."

"Okay."

He turned without so much as a goodbye and went back to his gold Ford, and I felt like I'd let him down. Again.


	4. Chapter 4

**I swear that I am actually working on this rewrite, as well as a sequel. I have the outlines done, and I can't wait till they're written and posted so you all can read them! I'd like to mention eventually this story, and its upcoming sequel, will be rated M.**

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><p>Having been exhausted when I went to sleep last night, I'd slept soundly and had woken up well-rested for the first time in practically my whole life.<p>

I was actually showered and ready to go before my über perky sister, which never happened. I'd even made it down to breakfast while my parents were still home; shocking them into thinking they were late for work.

"I'm just up early," I replied, placing a frozen waffle in the toaster. Mom handed me the syrup from the pantry and finished her coffee.

"Honey, if your sister isn't up in a few minutes, could you check on her? She didn't seem herself yesterday." Mom said worriedly, stuffing papers into one of her various work folders.

I nodded, reading the headline of the paper my dad had just smacked down onto the counter. He seemed distracted, which wasn't out of the ordinary on a Monday for him. My dad grabbed his coffee mug and set out for the door, while my mom groaned at her papers.

"Need help?" I asked. My waffle popped up from the toaster, and I grabbed it quickly with my fingertips and dropped it on the plate.

Mom shook her head and took another folder from her bag. "These aren't making sense," she huffed, looked at her watch, and then with wide eyes looked back at her papers. "Mary Kathleen, you're going to be late for school!" she called, and I flinched, rubbing the ear she'd just yelled near.

Mom shoved her papers in a jumbled mess in her bag and marched over to the stairs, yelling up for my sister again. I started to eat my waffle when I heard Mom climb the stairs and knock on Mary K.'s door.

I heard murmured voices, but couldn't make out the conversation. I abandoned my breakfast and went back upstairs to check on my sister, who was sitting up in bed, looking awful. Mom was checking her forehead. Her russet hair, usually glossy and smooth, was pulled back in a rough, messy bun and her eyes and nose were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying.

"Oh, sweetie," my mom murmured. "I think you should stay home today." Mom said sympathetically. She checked her watch again. "I should call into work."

"You don't have to stay with me," she objected, her voice broken.

"I could stay with her, Mom." I offered.

Mom sighed and looked between us. "Do you have any important tests or assignments due?" she asked. Mary K. didn't seem thrilled by this option.

I shook my head. "Nothing that Cal or Robbie can't help me with,"

She nodded. "I'll make a call to the school." Mom checked her watch yet again and sighed. "I have to get going," she told Mary K., kissing her forehead. "Call me if you need anything, okay sweetie?"

Mary K. nodded, and Mom left her, gave me a kiss, and then left the house in a rush. My sister looked relieved.

"Sick?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Not exactly."

"Studying too hard?"

Mary K. scoffed and grabbed her favorite pillow that she's had for forever, the roughed-up baby pink fabric of it dull compared to her lemon-yellow bedding. She held the pillow in her lap and leaned onto it, letting out a sigh. "I did something stupid." She admitted.

I swallowed hard, bracing myself. "With Bakker?"

She nodded, her bun bouncing and coming loose from the elastic hold. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?"

Mary K. stared down at her pillow. "Have you and Cal had sex yet?"

My breath came out harsh, not expecting such a blunt question to come from her. I knew my sister was curious, and that she'd had a not-so-great introduction to sex—especially since I'd all but beaten the hell out of Bakker when he'd tried to rape Mary K.

I nodded cautiously. "Just once." I said, shifting uncomfortably on her bed.

She looked up, her eyes were reddening again and brimming with tears. "Was it what you thought it would be like?"

I closed my eyes and sighed. "No. It wasn't what I thought. He was sweet and romantic and all of that, but I didn't feel right, and it hurt, and I felt…weird afterwards."

Mary K. didn't reply to that. I reached down and covered her hand with mine. "Mary K., did you sleep with Bakker? You can tell me."

She shook her head. "Not all the way, but we did…_stuff_."

"Stuff?"

"Yeah. Saturday night we went out on a group date, and then hooked up in his car. I just felt really…gross…" She shifted away from me and clutched the pillow to her chest.

"Is that what you confessed at church?"

She nodded. "Morgan, I really like him. He's ready, and I don't know why I'm hesitating—is there something wrong with me?"

"No!" I hissed. "Absolutely not. The fact that you're even having these thoughts means you're not ready. And I'm not saying that to be mean or your overprotective sister, I'm saying it because I wish I would've waited, and I want you to be sure when you do it for the first time. You're only fourteen, you have so much time to figure this out—you may not even be with Bakker in a couple of months." She flinched at that, and I took a deep breath and tried a softer tactic, resting my hand on her shoulder. "He's nearly three years older than you. I don't want you to get hurt."

Eventually my sister nodded and sank back down into bed, curling on her side away from me, and I took the hint.

* * *

><p>"Morning!" I greeted my friends as I got to our hangout Tuesday morning.<p>

"Hey, Morgan," Jenna replied with a smile. "Where were you yesterday?"

"My sister wasn't feeling well, so I stayed home with her. Did I miss anything?" I asked, directing the question more to Robbie, who shook his head.

Robbie cleared his throat. "Cal sure missed you, though."

"Ooh yeah, how was your birthday?" Jenna asked me, and I felt a slight blush creep up, which made her giggle.

Cal came down to join us, sitting on the step next to me and giving me a welcoming kiss. "Missed you yesterday," he whispered in my ear.

I bit my lip softly. "I'm sorry. Mary K. was having a rough day."

Cal nodded, accepting this, and laid his arm across my shoulders. "Can we get together later?" his voice asked, low and husky. This tone usually made me go weak at the knees, but all it did was make my stomach tighten, and not in the good way.

"Sure," I said, mustering up enthusiasm.

The first bell rang, and we all groaned as we got up to head to over respective homerooms. Cal's arms stayed wrapped around me as he walked me to class, and then he gave me a kiss in the doorway, earning whistles and hoots from my classmates. Cal shot me a grin as he headed for his class, and I felt mortified.

After homeroom ended, I caught sight of Bree about to leave and took a bold and probably stupid risk and grasped her arm to pull her aside.

She turned, and when she saw it was me, she looked surprised.

"Listen—about the other night," I found myself saying.

"What about the other night? How you conned your way into Hunter and Sky's good graces and made them trust you?" Bree laughed to herself. "God, I just hope they're smart enough to figure you out."

"Bree," I said quickly. "What're talking about? I'm trying to call a truce."

Her perfect eyebrows rose. "Really," she drawled.

"Really." I nodded. "I'm done with this bullshit, Bree."

Bree shook her head, looking like she was trying not to laugh. "You can't fool me—I know you better than anyone…or at least I thought I did." Her eyes raked me up and down, and she sighed. "Do you even have a thought that hasn't been approved by your boyfriend?"

"Cal does not control me!" I hissed. "Bree, Hunter is trying to help me. That's what's going on."

Bree's eyes narrowed. "Help you?" she exclaimed. "You're pathetic! Cal is using you to get to Hunter, and for what? You're Cal's little puppet, repeating the same recycled garbage he spouts to his little coven every day. You're a good little minion of his, Morgan. You would commit murder if he promised to sleep with you." She spat, and before I realized what was happening, my hand had shot out and smacked Bree hard across the face. Her head snapped sideways, and within seconds the pink outline of my palm appeared on her cheek. I gasped and stared at her as her face twisted into anger.

"You bitch!" she snarled.

Out of lifelong habit, I started to feel remorseful, and then I thought, Screw that. I took a deep breath and called on my own anger, narrowing my eyes. "You're the bitch," I snapped. "You don't understand _anything_ that's going on! I thought maybe, just maybe, I could confide in you, but you're too hell-bent on accepting anything I have to say to be the truth."

Bree gaped at me, her eyes wide, her mouth open. "What is he _doing_ to you? You're acting crazy!"

"Is there a problem?"

I jumped as I heard Cal behind me. Bree glared up at him, her hand lightly cupping her cheek. "I don't know, Cal. Is there?"

With a last glance to me, she stormed off, carefully avoiding Cal.

Cal rubbed my arms with his hands and pulled me close to him. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. All I could do was nod and stare after her.


	5. Chapter 5

"You seem really..."

"What?" I asked, looking up at Cal from my book of herbs and their properties. Cal gazed back at me warily and gently took the book from my hands.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. I didn't even know what was right anymore. Was I worried about Cal and, more importantly, his intentions? Absolutely. Hunter's accusations were both outrageous and somehow probable. I believed that he was being honest with me about being from the council. I believed he had a familial connection to Cal. I believed that, in an incredibly irritating and intrusive way, he was concerned for me.

So what did that say about Cal?

I loved him... But I had to admit I was becoming fearful of him. I doubt he'd ever hurt me, but I've noticed his increasing paranoia, his possessiveness, his instant change of attitude at the mention of Maeve's tools - I think I had a reason to be wary.

"I'm upset at how I handled things with Bree today." I said instead.

Cal's eyebrows drew together speculatively. "Why did you even talk to her in the first place?"

"Because she's been my best friend for most of my life. I don't want to not have her in it." I admitted, and felt my throat tighten at the truth in it.

Cal rolled his eyes and kissed me softly on the lips. "She's not your best friend if she doesn't accept your boyfriend. She's jealous and trying to drag you down with her. It's not fair, Morgan."

"That's not it." I argued. "Cal, I hurt her. I just want to make it right again."

He slung his arm over my shoulders and snuggled me down into the cushions of his couch with him. "I don't trust her, but I trust you. If you feel the need to be on good terms with her, that's your decision. And I'll be there for you when she turns on you again."

I didn't reply, just let him hold me there in his room, thankful that we weren't on the bed.

After Cal had brought me home, I delved into my math homework, grateful for a magickal reprieve.

As soon as I'd finished and was starting on history, I felt rather than heard a message from Hunter. He was outside, and was waiting impatiently for me to join him. I glanced at my clock. 8:15. My parents and Mary K. were downstairs, so I'd have to make an excuse. "Just stepping outside to talk to my boyfriend's potentially insane half-brother" wouldn't cut it.

With a groan, I slipped on my boots and trotted down the stairs. I'd grabbed my jacket off the hook when Mom asked where I was going.

"Left a book in my car," I said simply, excusing myself.

Hunter was leaning against the porch railing with his arms crossed over his chest, looking chilly and pissed.

"Hello," I said,crossing my arms as well. The late November wind was unrelenting.

"I learned some interesting news about Selene today." He said, his voice friendlier than his appearance.

"And?"

Hunter half smiled. "I'm meeting with her tomorrow, so you might want to stay away. I know how fond you are of butting in where you have no business."

"So you're here to tell me to stay away because I'm the one out of line?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Something along those lines."

I sighed and leaned against the door frame. "You know, if you weren't so off putting, I'd be more inclined to listen to you."

"Morgan." He said seriously, and I straightened up in response. "Please do this one thing."

I closed my eyes and rubbed them, feeling tired. "Hunter, what if you're wrong? Then what?"

"I'm not." He said without a shadow of a doubt.

"If you're so sure, why don't you just bring her in? Why go through all this? And if she was guilty of dark magick, wouldn't she be trying to lay low, not flaunt around in front of the council?"

"Just do what I ask. After that you can do as you please."

I nodded after a moment, and I saw a hint of relief soften his green eyes, replaced immediately with his business-like demeanor.

"Goodnight, Hunter." I went back inside without waiting for a reply.

*A/N - Short, but it'll get longer as the story progresses!*


End file.
